guilt
B2Formal in legal/judicial contexts; neutral to formal in psychological/personal contexts. Everyday usage is common for describing feelings.
Definition
Meaning
The fact of having committed a specified or implied offence or crime; a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offence, crime, or wrong.
Can refer to a state of being culpable, a legal verdict, or a psychological/emotional burden of self-reproach. In broader use, it can imply a sense of being at fault, even without formal wrongdoing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Distinguish from 'shame' (shame is about the self, guilt is about a specific action). 'Guilt' often implies an internalized standard has been violated.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slightly more frequent in American legal discourse (e.g., 'guilt phase'). The adjective 'guilty' is used identically in verdicts.
Connotations
Similar moral and legal weight in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
feel + guilt (+ about/for + NP/gerund)be + overwhelmed/crippled/consumed + by/with + guiltadmit/deny + guiltassign/place + guilt + on + NPVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “guilt trip”
- “guilty conscience”
- “weighed down by guilt”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in ethics/compliance contexts (e.g., 'corporate guilt').
Academic
Common in psychology, law, theology, and literary analysis.
Everyday
Very common for discussing personal feelings and minor social transgressions.
Technical
Specific term in law (finding of guilt) and psychology (e.g., 'maladaptive guilt').
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The jury was convinced of his guilt.
- She was consumed by guilt after forgetting her friend's birthday.
American English
- The prosecutor had to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
- He carried a lot of guilt about leaving his hometown.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I feel guilt when I am late.
- He felt a lot of guilt for not helping his sister.
- The evidence proved his guilt.
- Survivor's guilt is a common reaction after a traumatic event.
- She was plagued by guilt over the argument.
- The phenomenological experience of guilt differs markedly from that of shame.
- His plea bargain was an implicit admission of guilt.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
GUILT feels like a GILT-edged cage - shiny with regret, but still a prison.
Conceptual Metaphor
GUILT IS A BURDEN / WEIGHT (e.g., 'carry guilt', 'weighed down by guilt'). GUILT IS A STAIN (e.g., 'stained by guilt').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'вина' (which can also mean 'fault' or 'cause'). 'Guilt' is specifically culpability or the feeling thereof. The Russian word can be broader.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'guilt' as a verb (the verb is 'to feel guilty' or 'to guilt-trip'). Confusing 'I feel guilt' (noun) with 'I feel guilty' (adjective).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase best describes a strong, persistent feeling of responsibility for a wrongdoing?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While it is a key legal term for criminal culpability, it is most commonly used in everyday language to describe a personal feeling of responsibility for a perceived misdeed.
Guilt is "I did something bad." Shame is "I am bad." Guilt focuses on the action; shame focuses on the self. You can feel guilt without shame, and vice versa.
Not in standard formal usage. The correct verb form is related to the adjective 'guilty' (e.g., 'to make someone feel guilty'). Informally, 'to guilt-trip' is a phrasal verb.
It is a mental condition where a person feels guilty for having survived a traumatic event when others did not.